I found this film both powerful and moving with some interesting touches, such as the 'old soldier vanities' in the estaminet scene, where, having started the film in the 'pantalons rouge' uniform of 1914, the cast have changed into the "Horizon Blue" of majority of the war, but, in the estaminet, the 'old sweats' sit drinking with their old 'coloured' kepis on the table, perhaps as an indication to 'late comers' that they had (in a more modern parlance) "Been there, Done that".
Is it worth pointing out that "Les Croix de Bois" was mined for scenes by Hollywood (for "Road to Glory" amongst others)? It says much about the power of this film that the scenes had to be toned down for the American market.
The scene which springs most easily to mind is the chapel/hospital scene mentioned in the previous post. In the Hollywood version, the camera swings over the screen to a busy field hospital with much groaning and crying, in the original, the pan to the hospital centres on a screaming (genuine) quadruple amputee - I am given to understand that he, as with the majority of the cast, was a war veteran (presumably stretching his pension a little).
Is it worth pointing out that "Les Croix de Bois" was mined for scenes by Hollywood (for "Road to Glory" amongst others)? It says much about the power of this film that the scenes had to be toned down for the American market.
The scene which springs most easily to mind is the chapel/hospital scene mentioned in the previous post. In the Hollywood version, the camera swings over the screen to a busy field hospital with much groaning and crying, in the original, the pan to the hospital centres on a screaming (genuine) quadruple amputee - I am given to understand that he, as with the majority of the cast, was a war veteran (presumably stretching his pension a little).